I suppose I could put a deep on top, use an excluder on the top and bottom of the bottom deep with the queen in there and let the brood hatch out in the top deep. Then pull the top deep and those frames.

To emulate a feral colony you only need to use five HSC in the center of the brood nest. the bees know when and how to utilize both large and small cells depending on there needs of the season. you can use ten if you like but remember it is only for brood area dont wast it in honey area. RDY-B

>Here is another question...HSC is used only for the brood box? If I do not use a queen excluder on my hives, does that mean I have to use HSC in each box? That is pricey eh?

If the goal is instant regression, you really only need one bee box full of HSC to get them regressed. By the time they start drawing the next box, some of the offspring from the HSC should be drawing it so it can be wax 4.9mm or foundationless and come out fine.

To emulate a feral colony you only need to use five HSC in the center of the brood nest. the bees know when and how to utilize both large and small cells depending on there needs of the season. you can use ten if you like but remember it is only for brood area dont wast it in honey area. RDY-B

Theory is great, but reality is sometimes totally different. Good luck getting the queen to lay in the 5 HSC frames. You will find the brood nest in the perimeter frames. :-\

Logged

"Opportunity is missed by most people because it comes dressed in overalls and looks like work." - Thomas Edison

I have a feeling that I should buy a new package of bees in Spring and start a second hive, using HSC.In each additional super add, I can place the smaller cell foundation, and or go foundationless? How does that theory sound?

>Theory is great, but reality is sometimes totally different. Good luck getting the queen to lay in the 5 HSC frames. You will find the brood nest in the perimeter frames.

If you give them a full box of nothing but HSC until they are using it and eventually work it into five in each box it will work. But as Robo says, if you only give them five of the HSC and the rest are foundationless or small cell wax, they will probably ignore the HSC at least until they run out of room. Better not to give them the choice.